This invention relates to encapsulating electronic components.
Electronic components, e.g., integrated circuits and other semiconductor devices, diodes, resistors, resistor networks, and capacitors, are typically encapsulated in an insulating resin, e.g., epoxy resin, to which fillers, e.g., silica and alumina, have been added. Among the important properties of the encapsulating resin are high thermal conductivity and low stress generation on the underlying electronic component. Stress on the component can occur as a result of thermal cycling during use of the component ("thermal cycling stress"). Normally, improving the thermal conductivity of the encapsulating resin causes the thermal cycling stress characteristics to deteriorate and vice versa.